Battle Challenge from Iris

"Is this the Champion's trophy?!"

That night, Ash, Gary, Rosa, Hilda, and the others gathered at the Pokémon Center in Aspertia City.

Ash looked at the Champion's trophy in Gary's hands, his eyes filled with indescribable envy.

"Gary, can I borrow it for a look?" Ash asked Gary.

"Of course." Gary had no reason to refuse such a small request and readily handed it to Ash.

"This is so great!" Ash stared at the trophy before him and made a vow. "Someday, I'm going to win a trophy too—a trophy even bigger than this one!"

"I remember you making that vow before the Aspertia Tournament even began, Ash. But the result was..." Iris was the first to show no mercy toward Ash's ambition, slipping into teasing-friend mode.

"That was an accident! Someday, I'll defeat Gary and take the Championship!" Ash declared with a firm tone and a serious expression.

"That might be difficult, Ash!" Hearing Ash's words, Gary curled his lips into a slight smile. "I'll be waiting to stop you!"

"Bring it on! My partners and I won't be afraid!" Ash patted his chest, looking thoroughly fearless.

"Pikachu!" Seeing Ash like this, Pikachu cooperatively released a faint current of electricity.

"Then I'll be waiting for you up ahead, Ash!"

Looking at Ash, who remained that same boy despite suffering setbacks across several regions, Gary's face broke into a smile.

"Just don't make me wait too long!"

"Of course!" Ash nodded heavily.

"Ash, you'd better work hard from here on out!" Seeing Ash's solemn, earnest expression, Rosa and the others offered their encouragement.

"But that's for the future. Right now, you're still this young master's defeated opponent."

At that moment, Gary suddenly changed his tone and teased Ash.

"What do you mean? This time was just an accident! Someday, I'll